A Saudi cleric's declaration that babies should wear burkas to protect them from sexual attacks has drawn widespread criticism.

Sheikh Abdullah Daoud said all female newborns should wear a full face veil in an interview with an Islamic television station.

He told al-Majd TV that wearing a burka would stop incidents of sexual attacks on babies, and tried to support his claim by quoting unnamed medical and security sources.

The interview took place last year, but it was picked up by Al Arabiya news and social media websites at the weekend, provoking outrage and comments that such claims damage the reputation ofSaudi Arabiaand Islam.

Sheikh Mohammad al-Jzlana, a former judge at the Saudi Board of Grievances, urged Muslims to ignore "unregulated" fatwas and said the ruling was "denigrating to Islam and Shariah and made Islam look bad".

The religiously conservative kingdom's monarch heralded the change in two royal decrees stating that the Shura Council, which advises the government on legislation, should have 20 per cent female membership, meaning 30 women will sit on the 150-person council.